1. POWER CRISIS AND ENERGY POLICY OF KERALA
T. .M Jacob Memorial Government College, Manimalakunnu, Koothattukulam
Department of Economics
Ms Anjali Prakash
POWER CRISIS AND ENERGY POLICY OF KERALA
Kerala’s energy consumption increasing …fastest rates
Resource augmentation and growth in energy supply not keeping pace
Huge demand …industrial development and population growth
“reeling under severe power shortage” …KSEB

2. Causes of Energy Crisis
Sharp increase in demand
Poor utilization of existing capacities
Low capacity utilization
Laxity in creating additional capacity
Inefficiency of Kerala State Electricity Board
Over dependence on Hydel power
Delay in commissioning new projects

3. Electrical Energy Consumption:

4. Demand Supply Gap: Projection
18th Electric Power Survey (EPS) Report : KSEB Ltd

6. Challenges Inadequate capacity addition
Over dependence on hydel projects
Negligible share of Renewable Energy in the Energy mix
Losses/inefficiencies of the main power utility
Gap between energy conservation potential and its realization
Insufficient interventions/incentives to promote energy conservation
No coal based plant, no gas based plant
Energy price volatility

7. Lags
Options limited…
only natural resource available in Kerala for conventional power generation is hydro.
Thrust on identified major/minor hydels…not much positive results.

8. Bottle necks:…hydel power schemes:
Non-perennial nature of rivers ..(6 to 7 months)
Scope for impounding water…limited…to environmental and rehabilitation issues.
Procurement of land from private individual and forest/revenue involve long delays/uncertainties
construction period for a small hydro project is ~2-5 years …every detail is unique to a scheme.

9. tariff offered is not sufficiently attractive no deposits of fossil fuels such as coal, lignite or natural gas …look for imports To develop a coal project: 2 hurdles Huge land requirement Peoples opposition…pollution

10. nuclear energy …another option. large Thorium deposits in the State
nuclear energy …another option.. large Thorium deposits in the State. Opposition…against atomic energy Solution: 1. develop a few major thermal projects one or two natural gas based power plants…setting up a pet coke based power plant at Kochi

11. 2. Improving the Transmission & Distribution Infrastructure: Problem…scarcity of land…for constructing more transmission substations and lines. …. protest to drawing EHV line (Extra High Voltage Transmission)

12. through their property…damages owing to occupation of land by the tower footings, destruction of trees and diminishing land value. higher percentage of forest land in kerala limits the options in line routes

13. Strengthening of Interstate Transmission Network:
insufficient internal generation…. dependent on the import of power from outside the state .
central sector sources
IPPs (Independent Power Producers)
power exchanges.
Severe congestion… in the inter-regional transmission lines ….difficult to bring power

14. Solution: Complete ongoing strengthening works of the inter regional links and other lines connecting Kerala to the national grid take up construction of new lines to improve the transmission capacity.

15. Wind Energy Projects: large potential for developing wind energy
potential …. about 700 MW
installed capacity is only MW
Initial enthusiasm later dropped….
Problems:
land availability..difficult terrain at potential sites…development of transmission infrastructure sufferred from high cost…low utilisation.

16. Institutional weaknesses
ANERT is handicapped:
limited manpower
105 sanctioned posts …..45 are filled.
Qualified man power is needed
number of installations has increased manifold. The quantum of work has increased
infrastructure and staff strength same as in 1985

17. Revenue inspections contributed much to exchequer
Revenue inspections contributed much to exchequer. Lab have to be well equipped Testing equipments …latest state of the art technologies, sophisticated and meeting International Standards

18. Technical officers need training on the innovation in Electrical Engineering

19. Effective implementation of the Quality Control Order (2003):
Meter Testing and Standards Laboratory has to be strengthened
By providing
additional testing facilities
additional infrastructure and staff.

20. Setting up of Mobile Testing Units at District Offices
Only one mobile testing unit in the Meter Testing and Standards Laboratory, Thiruvananthapuram.
More to be set up in all districts

21. Setting up of an Electrical Accident Prevention and Monitoring Cell/Centre:  
Electrical accidents rising
…4000 fatal incidents..india…300 in Kerala
Non fatal same in number
Need for:
Electrical safety awareness and training for people
Department of Electrical Inspectorate nodal agency for the implementation of the safety provisions of Indian Electricity Act and Central Electricity Authority Safety Regulations, setting up of an Electrical Accident Prevention and Monitoring Cell / Centre under the department is desirable.

22. END
Prepared by Anjali Prakash, Assistant Professor of Economics